Another study raises questions over MMR

Measles has been found in the intestines of children with a form of autism, it has emerged.

The finding supports the work of Dr Andrew Wakefield, the discredited scientist who first suggested that the MMR vaccine may be behind some autism cases.

Campaigners latched on to the research, claiming it was clear evidence of a link.

One of the scientists behind the study warned, however, against making such a 'leap'.

Dr Stephen Walker, of Wake Forest University Medical Centre in North Carolina, said the findings replicated Dr Wakefield's in establishing a strong association between measles and autistic children with bowel disease.

But he added: 'We haven't done anything to demonstrate that the measles virus is causing autism or even causing bowel disease.

'Even if we showed association between measles virus and bowel disease and we published in a peer-reviewed journal, the conclusion will be simply that there is measles virus in the gut of a large number of children who have regressive autism and bowel disease. End of story.'

Richard Halvorsen, a London GP and childhood vaccination expert, claimed the results were 'incredibly significant'.

He said: 'This may not be proof of causation, but we have confirmation that there is a association between MMR and autistic children.

'The Government needs to have a little humility and accept there could be an issue and as a matter of urgency readdress their vaccination programme.'

Dr Walker presented his initial findings at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Montreal yesterday.

The study - being led by New York University School of Medicine - involved 275 American children.

They all had bowel disease and regressive autism, in which a normal child suddenly loses skills.

Gut tissue biopsies were carried out on 82 of the children and 85 per cent showed signs of the vaccine strain of the measles virus.

Thirty-five of the cases were confirmed by DNA testing.

Dr Walker, who hopes to finish the study this summer, added: 'There are lots of viruses in the gut and any one of them could be causing inflammation.

'If it truly is from a vaccine and this virus causes inflammation and a chronic bowel condition in some susceptible children, then that's something that needs to be known.'

Dr Wakefield, who now works in Texas, welcomed the research yesterday. 'The findings are immensely reassuring in as much as they confirm the validity of our original study,' he said.

'Everything that we reported in the original paper in 1998 has been supported by independent replications.

'In an effort to maintain vaccine uptake and protect susceptible children against autism I believe that the Government should, at the very least, make single vaccines available again.'

The controversy has scared some parents off the measles, mumps and rubella jab. Uptake is now as low as 70 per cent in some areas. Jackie Fletcher, founder of vaccination pressure group JABS, said yesterday: 'This appears to be further compelling evidence linking the MMR vaccine to autism.

'It confirms the measles virus is present in the gut of these children when it shouldn't be.

'The Government should reinstate the single vaccines immediately.

'They have failed in their care of children.'

The Department of Health insisted the latest study had no validity because control groups were not used.

'The same investigation in Dr Wakefield's own laboratories showed no evidence of measles virus in bowel tissue from autistic children,' said a spokesman.

'Several properly conducted studies that include control groups, have failed to find measles virus persisting in the blood cells of autistic children.

'We believe there remains no convincing epidemiological or virological evidence for MMR playing a part in causing autism.

'MMR remains the best form of protection against measles, mumps and rubella and it is recognised by the World Health Organisation as having an outstanding safety record.'